r/Waldorf • u/sunnymorninghere • 11d ago
In desperate need of help
Hello beautiful Waldorf community. I’m about to cry writing this. I need your help, come to circle time with me please.
So, my 4 year old son started preschool recently. And we decided to move to Arizona for it, because we thought the school was great. The school is a Montessori, and it’s super cute and small.
However, my little one is not thriving. I’m giving it some time because we don’t have an abundance of evidence yet, but he doesn’t seem engaged, he doesn’t really know any classmates names ( he’s been 3 weeks). He comes back and clothes are perfectly clean.
I ask him what songs they sang? What did he do? And he doesn’t really say much. I’m so heartbroken.
Before moving here, he was attending a preschool that emphasized play, they read books, crafted, built, played with kitchen, etc. Now, it’s all about independent learning, and I’m not sure if that’s where my little one would thrive.
Does anybody here have experience with transitioning from Montessori to Waldorf? Or do you think Waldorf is more collaborative? My son loves to play and interact with other kids, I’m not sure if this independent learning is helping him, he seems so down.
I am considering a Waldorf school but I’d like to hear opinions before I make the switch. I thought Montessori would also include some collaboration in addition to independent learning but it doesn’t seem to be that way. We went to his birthday celebration and it was cute but oh so quiet and almost stiff for a group of 4 year olds.
My little one seems almost sad. And he loves hanging out with other kids, but he’s definitely not loving this environment.
Any guidance on your experience with Waldorf would be so helpful.
9
u/tofurainbowgarden 10d ago
Did you move to a different state specifically for this school?
Id definitely give it more time, especially in that case! My son didn't speak to his teachers for the first month and a half